Operating means



A. H. STEBBINS OPERATING MEAN S Fi led Oct. 8, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTO R NEY Dec. 29, 1 25 1,557,551

A. H. STEBBINS OPERATING MEANS Filed Oct. 8, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/f/VT R ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 29, 1925, p g I I OPERATING MEANS.

Application. filed floto'ocr 8, 1924. Serial No. 7e2,3%8.

To all 14:71am it 22mg concern: denly becomes active to reverse the direc- 55 Be it known that l, Arinnn'r H. STEBBINS, tion of travel of the surface and move it a citizen of the United States, residing at in the opposite direction. This quick Los Angeles, in the county of the Los reversal of the direction of movement Ange es and State of California, have inof the surface causes the momentum of vented an Improvementin Operating Means, the materials to slide them along the 60 of which the following description, in consurface. The nature of the movement ohnection with the accompanying drawings, tained, in accordance with the present inis a specification, like characters on tho vention, may be varied as desired by varydrawings representing like parts. ing the angle between the eccentrics, the

This invention relates to improved means size of the eccentrics and the speed at which 05 for imparting a progressive movement to they are rotated. concentrator decks and other forms of Another feature of the invention resides separators employing a vibratory move in the cable connectors for imparting the ment. movement of the eccentrics to the deck or Concentrator tables commonly employ a other material supporting surface. vibratory movement to promote separation Other features of the invention and novel of the materials, and the proper operation combination of parts in addition to the of these concentrators depends largely above will be hereinafter described in con- 20 llpOl'l the nature of the movement provided. nection with the accompanying drawings The movement imparted to the deck is which illustrate good practical forms usually a progressive movement that prothereof. motes travel of the materials along the deck, In the drawings: and it may serve also to shift the particles Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a table con- 25 of the materials in a manner to promote centrator provided with deck operating stratification and settling of the particles. means constructed in accordance with the In accomplishing these results, the movepresent invention; mentmust not be energetic enough to dis Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the turb the difl'erent strata into which the line 22 of Fig. 1; materials are being formed. Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale is an end Various forms of mechanism have been view of Fig. 1 looking towards the left; suggested heretofore for imparting a pro- Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of the gressive movementto decks and other forms operating shaft and eccentrics with parts of separators employing a vibratory movein section; ment, and while some of the mechanisms Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views work fairly Well, they are more or less showing the action of a pair of eccentrics complicated and are open to other 0bjecdisposed at an angle of 180 to each other; tions. and

The primary object of the present inven Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views tion, therefore, is to provide simple means showing the action of a pair of eccentrics for imparting a better progressive movement disposed at an acute angle to each other. 5 to concentrator decks and other forms of The operating means of the present invenseparators than has been developed heretotion is shown as applied to a table concenfore. trator to impart vibratory movement to the 45 An important feature of the present inconcentrator deck, but it will be undervention resides in a pair of angularly disstood that it is well adapted to operate va- 1 posed eccentrics for operating a deck or rious forms of separators employing a back other form of separator, and arranged so and forth or vibratory movement. that each eccentric modifies the action of The table concentrator shown is provided the other. with the usual supporting casing formed of The arrangement is such that While the longitudinally extending beams 10 secured material supporting surface is partaking to uprights 11, and the opposite sides of of the movement of one eccentric, the the casing are connected by transversely other angularly disposed eccentric sudextending bars 12. Upon the supporting casing is mounted the deck 13 which may be of the usual or any preferred construction. The materials to be treated are delivered to V the deck by the hopper 14, and air under pressure is supplied to the deck 13 by the fan 15- mounted upon an extension of the supporting casing and connected to the deck by a flexible tube 16.

Various means may be provided for mounting the deck upon the supporting casing for back and forth movement, and the means shown consists of rocking arms disposed near the opposite ends of the deck. Near each end of the supporting casing is provided a transversely extending shaft 17 (see Fig. rockingly mounted in brackets 18 secured to the supporting casing, and rigidly secured to the ends of the shaft 17 are the downwardly extending rocking arms 19 having near their lower ends the laterally extending stud shafts 20. The shafts 20 are journaled in brackets 21 rigid- 1y secured to the under face of the deck 13, the arrangement being such that the deck rises and falls slightly as it moves back and forth in the direction of its length.

As stated, the present invention relates to improved means for imparting a vibratory movement to concentrator decks and other material supporting surfaces that are mounted for a back and forth movement, and one embodiment of the invention that is well adapted to operate decks and screens will now be described.

Below the deck 13 is mounted a transversely extending operating shaft 22 journaled in the brackets 23 secured to the supporting casing. This shaft may be rotated by a pulley 24, and rigidly secured to the shaft 22 or formed integral therewith are the angularly disposed eccentrics 25 and 26. These eccentrics may be disposed at any desired angle'to each other depending upon the nature of the movement it is desired to impart to the deck 13, and in Fig. 1 the eccentrics are indicated as at an acute angle to each other.

Upon the eccentrics 25 and 26, in the present case, are mounted the groove sheaves 27 and 28, and in order that the eccentrics may actuate the sheaves without rotating them, antifriction bearings 29 are provided between the eccentrics and sheaves. The bearings may be of well-known construction and the inner ring of each bearing is secured in place upon its eccentric by collars 30 and 31 confined between a shoulder 32 on the shaft and the threaded nut 33. The sheaves are retained in place upon the outer rings of the bearings 29 by an integral flange 34 at one side of each sheave and the removable flange 35 at the opposite side. A collar 36 loosely embracing the shoulder 32 may be provided as a spacer between the two sheaves.

Movement is imparted from the eccentric actuated sheaves 27 and 28 to the deck 13, in the present case, by the cables 37 and 38 engaging the respective sheaves. Each cable has one end secured to the deck, as at 39, and its opposite end anchored to the supporting casing by an adjustable bolt 40. Since the sheaves move up and down under the influence of the rotating eccentrics, a similar movement is imparted to the upper and lower portions of the cables 37 and 38. It is desirable to relieve the adjustable anchoring bolts 40 from the lateral movement of the cables, and this may be accomplished by passing the cables around the grooved idle sheaves 41 rotatably supported by the shaft 42 having its ends mounted in bra-ckets 43. These sheaves are formed with a spiral groove, or with the double grooves shown connected by an inclined groove 44. The provision of the sheaves 41 not only relieves the bolts 40 from the lateral movement of the cables, but the grooves of these sheaves are well adapted to support with a minimum amount of wear the portion of the cables extending from them to the rising and falling sheaves 27, 28.

The cables 37 and 38 are alternately tensioned and slacked off by the eccentric actuated sheaves, and the tensioning of either cable pulls the deck or other material supporting surface in a lefthand direction, viewing Fig. 1. It is necessary to provide means for moving the deck in a right-hand direction, and in the construction shown this is accomplished by spring actuated cables 45 each of which has one end secured to the deck at 46 and the other end secured to a bolt 47. The bolts 47 extend through a beam of the supporting casing and are provided with springs 48 which are confined between spaced cups 49 and 50, the outer cups 4 9 being adjustably secured to the bolts 47 by nuts 51. An intermediate portion of each cable 45 extends around a grooved idle sheave 52, and the sheaves 52 are rotatably supported by the trans versely extending shaft 53.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the deck 13 is positively moved in a lefthand direction by one or the other of the cables 37, 38 and that it is yieldingly pulled in the opposite direction by the spring operated cables 45. If one of the cables 37. 38 should be omitted, it is apparent that the deck would then move back and forth under the control of the remaining eccentricactuated cable through a distance equal to the throw of the eccentric. Under the action of a single eccentric the turn made at each end of the stroke is relatively slow and the movement increases in speed for the first half of a stroke and decreases in speed during the latter half of the stroke. Such a movement will serve to shake the materials back and forth but does not possess the progressive qualities desired to advance the materials.

By providing the construction of the present invention employing two angularly disposed eccentrics, each eccentric modifies the action of the other. That is, while the deck is moving under the control of one eccentric and before it has completed its moving in one direction under the control of this eccentric, the other eccentric suddenly draws the second cable taut to check the movement of the deck and move it in the opposite direction. This sudden reversal of the direction of movement of the deck is produced by the deck passing from the control of one cable to the other, and may be made to occur whenever desired by varying the angle at which one eccentric is disposed to the other.

The nature of the movement produced by the two angularly disposed eccentrics will be further understood upon studying Figs. 5 to 10 inclusive, wherein Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show the action of two eccentrics disposed at an angle of 180 to each other and Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show the action of two eccentrics disposed at an acute angle to each other. In Figs. 5 and 8 the line 5a is to be regarded as a bar or lever held against the eccentrics and which is moved outwardly to the positions indicated in Figs. 6 and 9 as the eccentrics rotate. As the eccentrics in Figs. 5 and, 8 rotate to the successive positions a, b, 0 and (Z, the lever 54 will be moved outwardly the distance indicated by the corresponding letters in Figs. 6 and 9.

Should one of the eccentric operated cables be omitted, as above mentioned, the movement that would be imparted to the deck by the remaining cable is indicated in Fig. 7 by the curve a, (Z, 5/, a2, a, in which it will be noted. that the curve 61 is similar to the curve :13, thus showing that the reversal of movement at one end of the stroke is the same as the reversal at the opposite end of the stroke.

When two eccentrics are employed, in accordance with the present invention, and if they are disposed at an angle of 180 to each other, as in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the deck will be moved in a left-hand direction at a decreasing speed, under the pull of eccentric 25 (for example) and will gradually reverse and then move in the opposite direction at an increasing speed under the control of eccentric 25 and the pull of the spring cables 45. This movement is indicated by the curve a, cl, 9 of Fig. 7. When the point 9 of the curve is reached, the deck is moving in the right-hand direction at its maximum speed, and at this instant the second cable operated by eccentric 26 is drawn taut while the cable of the eccentric 25 becomes slack, with the result that the movement of the deck is suddenly reversed, as indicated in Fig. 7, by the curve 9, (Z, a. It will therefore be seen that the movement of the deck is reversed gradually at the lefthand end of its stroke, as indicated by the curve (1, and is quickly reversed at the righthand end of its stroke as indicated by the curve 9.

If the angle between the eccentrics is less than 180 the curve will change accordingly, as shown by Fig. 10. In this view it will be seen that a slight movement in the nature of a dip is imparted to the lever 54; as the point engages the lever, (see Figs. 8 and If the angle between the eccentrics is increased, the dip 9 will become greater and the curve of Fig. 10 will gradually approach the curve of Fig. 7 where the dip g has become equal to the curve a.

The clip shown in Fig. 10 is so slight that its practical effect is simply to flatten out the curve, thus producing av more gradual reversal of the deck at the left-hand end of the stroke, but if it is desired to impart a slight impulse to the deck as the turn is be ing made, it is merely necessary to increase the angle between the eccentrics to increase this dip.

The use of two angularly disposed eccentrics produces an excellent progressive movement, as will be apparent from Figs. 7 and 10, and since the movement can be varied as desired, it will operate a deck in an ideal manner to promote stratification and settling of the particles. It can also be varied to form an excellent movement for screens and other surfaces that are to be vibrated.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described, comprising, in combination, a supporting casmg, a frame supported by the casing for back and forth movement and having a material supporting surface, means for moving the frame in one direction, a pair of cables for moving the frame in the opposite direction and for controlling its movement under the action of said means, means for securing one end of each cable to the supporting casing and the other end to the frame, and a pair of eccentrics acting against an intermediate portion of the respective cables to actuate the frame by pulling the cables and slacking them 01f.

2. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, a supporting casing, a frame supported by the casing for back and forth movement and having a material supporting surface, means for moving the frame in one direction, a pair of cables for moving the frame in the opposite clirection and for controlling its movement under the action of said means, means for securing one end of each cable to the supporting casing and the other end to the frame,

and a. pair of angularly disposed eccentrics acting against an intermediate portion of the respective cables to actuate the frame and adapted to shift the load from one cable to the other.

3. A device of the class described com prising, in combination, a supporting casing, a frame mounted upon the casing for movement back and forth in the direction of its length and having a material supporting surface, means for moving the frame in one direction, a pair of cables for moving the frame in an opposite direction and for controlling the movement of the frame under the action of said means, means for securing one end of each cable to the casing and the other end to the frame, and a pair of eccentrics acting against an intermediate portion of the respective cables and angularly disposed so that each modifies the action of the other eccentric upon the frame.

4;. A. device of the class described comprising, in combination, a supporting cas ing, a frame supported by the casing for movement back and forth and having a material supporting surface, means for moving the frame in one direction, a pair of cables for moving the frame in the opposite direction and for controlling the movement of the frame under the action of said means, and a pair of eccentrics for operating the respective cables to actuate the frame, said eccentrics being disposed at an angle less than 180 to each other.

5. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, a supporting casing, a frame supported by the casing for movement back and forth and having a material supporting surface, mechanism for moving the frame in one direction, a. pair of eccentrics for moving the frame in the opposite direction and for controlling the movement of the frame under the action of said mechanism, means for imparting movement from one of the eccentrics to the frame, separate and independ ent means for imparting movement from the other eccentric to the frame, said eccentrics being disposed at an angle of less than 180 to each other and operable so that each modifies the action of the other upon the frame.

0. A device of the class described com prising, in combination, a supporting casing, a frame supported by the casing for movement back and forth and having a material supporting surface, mechanism for moving the frame in one direction, a pair of eccentrics for moving the frame in the opposite direction and for controlling the movement of the frame under the action of said mechanism, means for imparting movement from one of the eccentrics to the frame, separate and independent means for imparting movement from the other eccen tric to the frame, and a driving shaft for said eccentrics and upon which they are secured at an angle less than 180 to each other to reverse the movement of the frame gradually at one end of its stroke and quickly at the other end of its stroke.

7. A device of the class described "com prising, in combination, a supporting casing, a frame mounted upon the casing for back and forth movement and having a material supporting surface, yielding means for moving the frame in one direction including an idler sheave rotatably supported by the casing and a cable engaging said sheave and having one end secured to the frame and the other end yieldingly secured to the casing, a pair of eccentrics for moving the frame in the opposite direction and for controlling the movement of the frame under the action of said cable, and means for imparting movement from the eccentrics to the frame; said eccentrics being disposed at an angle less than 180 to each other so that each modifies the action of the other upon the frame.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT H. STEBBINS. 

